China vs India: Population, total
China
1.41 billion
in 2025
India
1.46 billion
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
Population, total over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 1.46 billion against 1.41 billion in China, a difference of 57.29 million.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and India in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 714.95 million | 484.63 million | 230.32 million | China |
| 1970s | 901.94 million | 605.98 million | 295.96 million | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 billion | 764.93 million | 281.68 million | China |
| 1990s | 1.20 billion | 951.12 million | 245.72 million | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 billion | 1.14 billion | 155.00 million | China |
| 2010s | 1.37 billion | 1.32 billion | 55.96 million | China |
| 2020s | 1.41 billion | 1.43 billion | 22.20 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, total, China or India?
- India, at 1.46 billion against 1.41 billion in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population, total between China and India?
- 57.29 million, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for population, total?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Population, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.